Geranium plant named ‘Guinost’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Guinost’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; slightly zoned and small leaves; numerous long-lasting dark hot pink-colored semi-double to double flowers; basal branching; high yield of cuttings; early flowering; continuous flowering throughout the summer; and foliage tolerant to rain, wind and stress conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geraniumplant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and herinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Guinost.

The new Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in St. Malo, France. The objective of the breeding programwas to develop new early-flowering cultivars with interesting and uniqueflower colors.

The new Geranium orignated from a cross made by the Inventors of theproprietary Pelargonium peltatum selection code number 85 as the male,or pollen parent, with the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Pico, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent in 1989. The cultivar Guinostwas discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant withinthe progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in St. Malo,France, in 1989.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atSt. Malo, France, has shown that the unique features of this newGeranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Guinost’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Guinost’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact and upright plant habit.

2. Slightly zoned and small leaves.

3. Numerous long-lasting dark hot pink-colored semi-double to doubleflowers.

4. Basal branching; high yield of cuttings.

5. Early flowering; flowering continuous throughout the summer.

6. Foliage tolerant to rain, wind and stress conditions.

The new Geranium can be compared to the female parent, the cultivarPico. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in St. Malo,France, plants of the new Geranium differ from plants of the cultivarPico in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Geranium are more compact than plants of thecultivar Pico.

2. Plants of the new Geranium are less vigorous than plants of thecultivar Pico.

3. Plants of the new Geranium flower earlier than plants of the cultivarPico.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Guinost’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of upper(left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Guinost’. Flowerand foliage colors in the photographs may appear different from theactual colors due to light reflectance. Both the plants used in thephotographs and the plants described in the detailed botanicaldescription were about 7 to 9 weeks in age, and grown under the sameenvironmental conditions as described below.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Guinost has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations,measurements and comparisons describe plants grown 14-cm pots in St.Malo, France, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhousewith day temperatures about 20° C., night temperatures about 18° C. andlight levels generally about 450 W/m². In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Guinost.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Proprietary Pelargonium peltatum selection code number 85.

Female parent.—Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Pico, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days with 20° C. Winter: About12 days with 18° C.

Rooting habit.—Strong, fibrous and freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Compact; upright and rounded growth habit. Typicallygrown in 10.5 to 15-cm containers.

Crop time.—Starting with a rooted cutting, about seven weeks arerequired to produced a finished flowering plant in 12-cm container.

Vigor/growth rate.—Moderately vigorous and rapid growth rate.

Plant height (to top of foliage).—About 18 to 22 cm.

Plant width.—Maximum, about 30 cm.

Branching habit.—Freely branching with about six lateral branches at thebase; pinching is typically not required.

Lateral branch length.—About 16 to 20 cm.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical, abundant,opposite. Length: About 4.5 to 7 cm. Width: About 4.5 to 7 cm. Shape:Peltate, palmately lobed. Venation: Palmate. Texture: Both surfacespubescent. Aspect: Undulating towards margin. Durability: Leaves verytolerant to rain, wind and stress conditions. Cuttings withstandtransport well. Petiole length: About 4 to 6.5 cm. Petiole diameter:About 2 mm. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137A. Young foliage,lower surface: 138A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B withslight zonation pattern, darker than 147A, about 7 to 10 mm in width andabout 1 cm from margin. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 138A to138B. Petiole: 144A to 144B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Dark hot pink-colored flowers. Freely andcontinuously flowering. Flowers arranged in hemispherical umbels arisingfrom apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the foliage. Flowerssemi-double to double and rounded. Umbels persistent. Flowers last about2 to 3 weeks on the plant; self-cleaning. Not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering is continuous from April to mid-September in the NorthernHemisphere.

Umbels.—Number of flowers per umbel: About 12. Diameter: About 8 cm.Height: About 4 to 5 cm.

Flowers.—Diameter: About 4 to 5 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 to 8 mm. Shape:Elongated ovoid.

Petals/petaloids.—Quantity: About 10 petals and about two to fivesmaller petaloids per flower. Arangement: Imbricate. Petal length: About2.3 to 2.6 cm. Petal width: About 1.3 to 1.8 cm. Petaloid length: About2 to 2.5 cm. Petaloid width: About 1.2 to 1.5 cm. Shape: Upper petalsand petaloids: Obtuse. Lower petals: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed. Texture: Smooth, satiny. Color,fully opened flowers: Upper petals, upper surface: Close to 68A veryweak slightly darker pink veins; elongated spot, close to 61B. Upperpetals, lower surface: Close to 61D. Lower petals, upper surface: Closeto 68A; very weak slightly darker pink veins. Lower petals, lowersurface: Close to 61D. Petaloid color, upper surface: Close to 71D.Petaloid color, lower surface: Close to 63D.

Sepals.—Quantity: About 5, not imbricate. Length: About 1.2 to 1.4 cm.Width: About 5 to 7 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire.Color: Light green with occasionally strong, purple anthocyanin flush.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle:Erect. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Light green with antocyanin purpleflush.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 to 2.5 cm. Diameter:About 3 mm. Angle: Between 45 and 90° to peduncle. Texture: Pubescent.Color: Medium to light green with occasional strong reddish flush.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens: About five toseven. Anther size: About 3 to 4 mm. Anther color: 72A. Pollen color:Close to 35A. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils: One. Pistil length: About6 mm. Style length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted. Stigma color:59B. Style color: Greenish to yellow to light pink. Ovary color: Green.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Pelargonium hasnot been observed.

Seed development: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named‘Guinost’, as illustrated and described.